Removing the roof motor

[Mr_Ke1th]

I’m attempting to relocate the roof motor but I’m struggling to remove the motor housing as in the guide. I’ve removed what seems like all of the tape but can’t get it to budge with hands or crowbar.... any advice or easy technique? Thanks

 

[Smartbear]

I believe there’s usually a cable tie securing the housing in place, someone who has experience of this will be along soon
Rob

 

[Mr_Ke1th]

I thought the top part of the housing was just held in with tape... currently soaking in wd40 before round 2 and endoscope on order

 

[DMike]

Hi,
I have limited experience, just relocated mine years ago, so read with a pinch of salt. The plastic housing has an upper 1/3 and a lower 2/3 part and the motor is sealed in it. The hydraulic lines run under the lower part so it has to come out too. Therefore opening the case in situ is not necessary. The housing has a plastic tab on its side that has to break - by wrencing the housing. Mine had also two white cable ties from factory, which I cut using scissors (with an usb camera taped on).

 

[DMike]

...google for 54347119635 images to view what the plastic tab with the slot looks like. That tab needs to break en brute force.

 

[Mr_Ke1th]

Thanks DMike Think I’m gonna wait til my endoscope arrives on Monday to see what I’m actually dealing with here

 

[Number5]

It’s held to the strut by both a screw and a cable tie, plus the lines are clipped into it via 4 grooved slots.

I’m sorry to tell you but the best way is to lift the whole thing out so that you can see what you’re cutting.

 

[DMike]

This was my tool to cut the zip ties without risking the hydraulic lines:


And this image depicts the groove where the lines run around the bottom of the housing and where the longer zip tie, around the housing is located. The housing is held in place with one screw and a shorter cable tie: I cut the cable tie and pushed the housing to break the tab. IIRC, it was easier to push with brute force from the cabin side. I also used endoscopy to.feed a wire through the smaller hole in the tab, with an intention to pull the housing upwards, but that didn’t really work.

 

[DMike]

Just for ideas, some more pictures...

 

[colb]

I used a long rod as a lever with a suitable pivot point put in the boot and managed to poke the lever inbetween the plastic motor/pump housing and its lid that is held on by the tape, exert upwards force on the lever and it will strain and break the cable tie or the part of the plastic housing the cable tie passes through. It needs considerable force to get it lifting up but you shouldn't cause any damage to any of the workings or pipes, it simply breaks the hold of the zip tie and allows the whole housing to be extracted. You won't need to use the plastic case when its relocated into the boot, mine now lives behind the carpet in the small alcove in the boots left hand side with some foam wrapped around it to deaden the sound. The left hand parcel shelf bracket will need a slot cut out of it so the pipes pass through it back to the original location, plenty of slack to allow its removal and relocation.

 

[Mr_Ke1th]

Thanks for the help guys - much appreciated

 

[Mr_Ke1th]

Managed to get the top half of the motor housing off, was an absolute nightmare! It was well sealed and needed me to basically bend and strip the plastic apart.... removed the roof motor and it looks brand new so I’m guessing it’s been sorted before and well sealed up! Lower part tomorrow I noticed a couple of nicks out the hydraulic lines hopefully they are still ok but if they’re not, what kinda job is it replacing these? Roof off? Thanks

 

[colb]

Looks pristine, you are lucky, best job you will have ever done relocating it, only a matter of time before it gets drowned when the drain blocks. A lot of people take the rubber valve caps off the drains under the sills and leave them off so they don't block, still worth rodding them on occassions to ensure they are free to drain even with the motor relocated to the boot.